Immigration focus on Portugal's standard of living:
Economic Development Status
When discussing the standard of living in Portugal, it is essential to first clarify the country's economic development status:
After joining the European Community in 1986, Portugal received significant funding, leading to rapid economic development and an increase in per capita income;
From 1986 to 1990, the average annual growth rate of the national economy was 4.7%;
In the early 1990s, due to the impact of the European economic recession, Portugal's economic growth rate declined year by year, experiencing negative growth in 1993, before beginning to recover in 1995;
From 1995 to 1999, the average annual economic growth rate reached 3.2%, higher than the EU average;
In recent years, the Portuguese government has carried out structural economic adjustments, vigorously developing service industries such as banking, finance, insurance, and tourism;
In 1998, the output value of Portugal's service, industrial, and agricultural sectors accounted for 60.7%, 32.5%, and 3.3% of the GDP, respectively;
In 1999, the GDP was 113.3 billion USD, and the per capita GDP was 11,938 USD, marking its entry into the ranks of developed countries.
Taxation
Portugal has a comprehensive tax system where high earners pay more tax and those with lower incomes pay less.
To assess the standard of living, one must also consider the social security mechanism to truly reflect the quality of life. In recent years, the government has gradually reduced state subsidies for food, transportation, etc., and stipulated that wage growth should be lower than the rate of economic growth. The minimum wage in sectors such as industry, trade, services, and agriculture is 375 Euros.
In 1997, for every 1,000 households, there were 797 telephones, 562 cars, 962 televisions, 462 video recorders, and 143 personal computers; there were 1,126 hospitals of various types, with 3.1 doctors and 13.9 beds per thousand people; the average life expectancy was 71.4 years for men and 78.7 years for women.
In 1993, the per capita standard of living was only 68% of the EU average; by 1999, this ratio rose to 74%, and by 2008, it had surpassed the development indices of other European countries.
Social Security System
The law stipulates that everyone residing in Portugal (including tourists) must have medical insurance;
Employees must have pension insurance and unemployment insurance;
The state has established a large number of social relief agencies.
As Portugal is a country with a complete social security system, the law stipulates that every citizen is included in this system. In principle, there are no homeless people, no beggars, and certainly no one who cannot afford medical care when ill.
Income
Many people always view income as only the disposable portion. In fact, in a welfare state like Portugal, the security provided to citizens by the social security system (welfare system) makes the standard of living for its citizens higher than in other countries.
Generally speaking, if a couple both work, the average monthly household income is around 1,500-2,000 Euros (calculated at 8 RMB to 1 Euro).
According to the "Report on Immigration Employment and Salaries in Portugal" released by the Bank of Portugal, the average wage for legal foreign workers in Portugal is 822 Euros, while the average wage for citizens is 932 Euros. From 2002 to 2008, the wages of Chinese workers were the lowest, averaging only 446 Euros, which is 87.5% less than the average Portuguese wage, equivalent to 391 Euros less.
Expenses
Housing Expenses
Most people living in cities are renters, especially young and middle-aged people, among whom the proportion of renters is higher. Conversely, those living in rural areas have a higher rate of homeownership.
The Portuguese real estate market is already in a mature and stable stage. Coupled with the fact that the Portuguese generally focus on immediate enjoyment of life and have a relatively perfect social security system, they have far fewer worries than the Chinese. Therefore, the desire to save money and buy houses is low, although in large cities like Lisbon, some people do invest in buying houses for rent.
Car Expenses
A car is an essential consumer item. For them, first-tier cars should be Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi; followed by other foreign brands.
The price of gasoline is 1.2 Euros per liter (12 RMB). Insurance premiums are determined by the car model (which may be classified by engine displacement in the future), possession of a driver's license, and the number of years without traffic accidents, with 600 to 1,000 Euros per year being the normal level. On average, there may be 1,000 Euros in repair costs per year. Assuming about 50 Euros is spent on fuel per month, the total car expenses account for about 5-10% of income.
Vacation Expenses
Portuguese employees generally enjoy 30 days of paid leave per year. Coupled with about ten days of various holidays, workers can enjoy about 40 days of paid leave!
The enthusiasm of the Portuguese for vacations is absolutely unimaginable to us. Apart from talking about football, perhaps the most discussed topic is vacations.
Many families make plans a year in advance, booking trips, flights, and hotels (usually as a package), followed by a long wait, buying books about the destination, or searching for information online to enjoy the anticipation. If it is a third-world country, they also need to pay attention to local political changes, whether there are natural disasters, infectious diseases, sea temperatures, etc.
Those with poorer economic conditions may go out once a year, with destinations possibly within Portugal or nearby Mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, etc.). Those with better economic conditions may go out twice a year, once in the summer and once at Christmas, with higher costs and more distant destinations: such as South America, Southeast Asia, the Egyptian Red Sea, Mexico, etc.
Other Expenses
There is no tuition fee from kindergarten to high school. Parents only need to be responsible for a small amount of book fees and a certain amount of lunch fees. Compared with Chinese parents, the money Portuguese people spend on their children's education is very low and will not become a burden.